Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/10329
IDG’s restaurant and bar operation alone employs a staff of 250, offering dining and beverage service “from 6 a.m. till question mark,” as Berkowitz puts it, and also providing room service to hotel guests and the building’s condo owners. There also a second- floor kitchen reserved solely for banquet purposes. “We got in right from the beginning,” notes Berkowitz. “Everything you see here in the restau- rant is our design,” created by New York–based Mark Zeff. That includes reclaimed wood paneling and hand-painted floor tiles that give the place a “green” vibe. Cabinets in a semi-private room display 300 or so of partner Philip Cummins’s rare collection of antique spirits—one of the world’s largest—and in the Living Room, the massive bar, made from translucent granite, glows from within at night, just like the clientele. Large-scale historic photographs from the French Riviera amp up the franco-fabulous feel, as does the mirrored menu on the wall listing the fresh seafood selections from Chef Sascha Lyon, who cooked at Daniel, Balthazar and his own eponymous Sascha in Manhattan before returning to his L.A. roots. As befits a real brasserie, Delphine has a choice selection of draft beers, drawn from an antique tap shinier than the bumpers on Gable’s Duesenberg; a select wine list is evenly split between French and American selections—and priced to move. “I’d rather see a $30 bottle of wine on five tables that a $100 bottle of wine on one table,” Berkowitz says with mathematically accurate passion. The Living Room bar menu lists cocktails by method. Both Berkowitz and Corben are decade-long veterans of IDG. Berkowitz came to man- agement after a career as a chef, working in some of San Francisco’s best kitchens. Corben stems from a family of Los Angeles restaurateurs (among other venues, they own the celebrated Pig ‘N Whistle, not far down the boulevard) and grew up in the business. Both men can casually rattle off names of movie industry movers and shakers who frequent the place as if they’re quoting from Variety. Cecil B. DeMille’s office was once just across the street, and if “C. B.” were still around, you can bet he’d have his own booth at Delphine by now. This place is definitely ready for its close-up. www.whotels.com W Santiago Exudes Urban Sophistication With its debut foray into South America, W Hotels has revitalized the El Golf neighborhood in Santiago. Under one roof visitors will find a gourmet marketplace, restaurants and wine bar illuminated by a giant tower visible from the street entrance and showcasing thousands of local vintages. Dining options include Osaka’s Peruvian-Asian cuisine by award-winning chef Ciro Wantanabe and two contemporary French-Chilean restaurants by renowned chef Jean-Paul Bondoux: NoSo is more formal, with chef’s table and private dining, while Terraza is a casual alfresco eatery. The heart of the hotel, the Living Room lobby bar, features three versions of the Pisco Sour cocktail. The Peruvian version is made with Montesierpe pisco, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and bitters. A Chilean concoction uses Elqui Tres Erres pisco, from one of the oldest local distilleries, and egg whites. The signature W “Control C” has fresh basil and cucumber. Options for late-night parties, customary for Chileans, include Whiskey Blue by Rande and Scott Gerber, off the lobby, or their rooftop bar Red2 One, with sweeping views of the snowcapped Andes from the 21st floor. This is also the Gerber Group’s first development in South America. —Carole Dixon The Bar at the W Lounge, Santiago. Chef Sascha Lyon returns to his L.A. roots, bringing a French brasserie touch to the menu with fresh seafood daily. may 2010 / the tasting panel / 33